A high-ranking official from the president's administration has raised concerns about Kyrgyzstan's performance in the upcoming 2025 PISA international assessment, suggesting that the results may be even worse than in 2009.
The official highlighted several factors contributing to this potential decline, including a significant drop in the quality of the teaching staff and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which led to the loss of 2-3 years of schooling due to the shift to online learning.
Despite the anticipated poor results in 2025, the official emphasized the importance of acknowledging the situation, making necessary improvements, and participating in future assessments to monitor progress.
In line with the president's directive, the focus will be on meaningful reforms aimed at fostering critical thinking skills rather than rote memorization. The official underscored the need to avoid unnecessary curriculum additions and ensure that education is geared towards developing students' analytical abilities.
PISA, the Programme for International Student Assessment, is a global initiative that evaluates students' educational achievements. Kyrgyzstan, which ranked last in both the 2006 and 2009 assessments, is set to participate in the 2025 evaluation alongside students from approximately 100 other countries. The government plans to use the upcoming assessments as a tool to drive educational reforms and improve learning outcomes for Kyrgyz students.
